{"id":33,"date":"2024-01-12T15:36:15","date_gmt":"2024-01-12T15:36:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.espacotalassa.com\/?page_id=33"},"modified":"2026-10-21T18:33:20","modified_gmt":"2026-10-21T18:33:20","slug":"whale-watching","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/espacotalassa.com\/en\/whale-watching\/","title":{"rendered":"Whale watching"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

35 + Years of Experience at Sea from the Azores<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We’ve been out in these waters for more than 35 years.
The team has its roots on Pico, but over the years Dutch, German, English, French, Brazilian and Spanish people have passed through. On board we speak a bit of everything, and the sperm whales have never complained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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One of the 10 Best Whale Watching Spots in the World<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Lajes do Pico, on the island’s south coast, is one of the ten best places in the world for whale watching and, without false modesty, the best in the Azores.
Little mass tourism, few boats around the animals and plenty of species. In the background, Pico Mountain, which insists on being in every photo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Right-Sized, Low Impact<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We have 12-passenger and 24-passenger semi-rigid boats. Most days we go out on the bigger one: more people on the same trip, for the same impact on the sea. When demand is high, the smaller one goes out too, so nobody is left on shore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Briefing and Debriefing<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before every trip there’s a 15 to 20 minute multimedia briefing: biology, behaviour, the history of whaling in the Azores, ecology and the law that tells us how close we can go.
Back in port, over a drink, we talk about what we saw and answer questions. The hardest ones usually come from the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Queimada Lookout \u2013 Exclusive to Espa\u00e7o Talassa<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Our trips are directed from the Vigia da Queimada, an observation post like no other in the Azores.
Up there are always at least two lookouts, guiding a maximum of four boats. They find the animals, tell the skipper where to go and how fast, and make sure nobody gets too close.
It’s a job built on trust between those on land and those at sea, as in the whaling days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Frequently asked questions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When can I see whales in the Azores?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Our season runs from mid-March to late October, and we see whales and dolphins in every month of it: from 2023 to 2026, 99.9% of our trips had cetacean sightings. Sperm whales live around Pico and are seen on 7 out of 10 trips, rising to 9 out of 10 in July. Blue, fin and humpback whales pass by in spring: in March we saw blue whales on more than two thirds of our trips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the best month to go whale watching?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It depends on what you want to see:<\/p>\n\n\n\n